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PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — New findings offer encouraging news in the fight against Alzheimer’s Disease. Patients given a group of drugs commonly prescribed for the treatment of high cholesterol are less susceptible to Alzheimer’s, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The lipid-lowering medicines, known as statins, reduce the likelihood that the disease will develop by up to 15 percent in women and 12 percent in men, the study showed. The findings are in line with existing theory regarding the drugs, Punta Gorda-based Dr. Timothy Janz said. “It’s always been kind of a thought that statins reduce plaque, and you have plaque in the small arteries to the brain that can lead to decreased blood flow and ultimately lead to memory problems,” Janz said. Janz anticipates that he and other doctors will become more aggressive in their approach to treating Alzheimer’s with drugs, including statins. The number of Alzheimer’s cases has spiked of late, and it’s the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S. No cure exists, and statins would be no panacea, even if the study proves true. But the latest findings represent a step in the right direction, Janz said. “This will help us understand moving forward what we can possibly do for patients that might be at risk for Alzheimers dementia, and hopefully the patient will live longer and have a better quality of life,” Janz said.